Machine for printing on rubber footwear.



J. w. MOORE. v MACHINE FOR PRINTING ON RUBBER FOOTWEAR.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.27, 1909.

Patented June 28, 1910.

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v J. W. MOORE. MACHINE FOR PRINTING ON RUBBER FOOTWEAR.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.27,1909.

Patented June 28, 1910.

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WEE EH1 W. MOORE, OF NEWTON HIGHLANDS, MASSACHUSETT J. W. MOORE MACHINE COMPANY, 015 BOSTON, MASSACHUS'E OF MASSACHUSETTS.

ASSIGNOR TO THE TS, A. CORPORATION MACHINE FOR PRINTING N RUBBER FOOTWEAR.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented June 28, 1919.

Application filed August 27', 1909. Serial N'o'. 514,904.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH W. MOORE, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Newton Highlands, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Machines for rinting on Rubber Footwear, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like numerals on the drawings representing like parts.

In. connection with rubbers, over-shoes, rubber boots, etc., it is desirable to print, usually in red or white ink, the name of the ISImaker or jobber and the trade name or trade 'm'ark of the particular goods, often together "with other emblems, marks or matter, but

the nature ofthe article on which the printing is tobe done and its varying shape, and

the fact that the printing is often required on the soles, shank, sides, boot legs or other place, has rendered it exceedingly difiicultto do this printing heretofore.

U Accordingly my present invention is a printing machine specially adapted for this particular Work, and comprises in connection with means for supporting the rubber, a-printi'ng device capable of applying approximately .uniform printing pressure to the work while moving over the work in one direction, and coiiperating means for restoring said device by movement away from the Wor My invention includes various other important features such as a self-inking arrangement, progision for permitting relative yielding movement between the work and the printing device for dillerent' thicknesses of material, provision for insuring a surface speed of the printing device equal to' its for- Ward movement, provision for quick placing and removal of the work, etc.

In the drawings, in which I have shown a preferred embodiment of my I, invention: Figure l is a central vertical sectional view thereof viewing the machine sidewise; Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the machine; Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical section taken approximately through the center of the printing device when in printing position; and Figs. 4 and 5' show portions of the printing. mechanism in edge view; and plan respectively.

On a suitable pedestal 1 .is mounted awork-supporting block 2 at the upper end of a spindle 3 vertically movable in the top of said pedestal and held normally under tendency to move upward by a spring l, being limited in its upward movement by a collar 5 on said spindle and locked when in its raised position, by the engagement therewith of the shouldered upper end 6 of a dog 7 pivoted at 8 on said pedestal and normally pulled forward by a spring 9 and released by a link 10 adjustably secured at 11 to a rear extension 12 of said dog, said link being pivoted at 13 to one arm 14 of a bell-crank lever pivoted at 15 whose otherarm 16 actuates the printing mechanism.

As herein shown, my machine is operated by a treadle 17 and link 18 pivoted at 19 to the forward end of said bell-crank, movementin opposition to said treadle being communicated to the various parts by a spring 20. To the upper end of the'pedestal a bracket 21 is bolted provided at its top with opposite horizontal guides o slideways 22' in which reciprocates a ,fKa me 23 having block-like ends 24 fitted to slide in said ways 22. Transversely journaled in the front ends of said block-like ends 24 is a shaft 25 to whose projecting ends the upper end of the arm 16 of the bell-crank is loosely connected by links 26. Loosely mounted on said shaft 25 is a carrier 27 provided With'a rear bifurcated extension oryoke 28 which embraces the frame 23, the lower arm 29 of said yoke having an adjustable stud 30 for limiting the downward movement of the printing head or member and the upper arm 31 of said yoke being recessed to retain a spring 32 held adjustably by an adjusting bolt 33 for giving the rod printing pressure and yet permitting the printinghead to yield up- Wardly for varying thicknesses of Work. A special head 34 is pivoted at 35 to oscillate in the projecting end of the carrier 27, being posltively driven by a gear 36 fast on its shaft 37 driving an idler pinion 38- pivoted on one side of the carrier and meshing with a gear 39 fast on a driving pinion 40 on the shaft 25. I have shown the pinion 40 as actuatedby a stationary rack 41 projecting upwardly from the top of the bracket 21, said rack and pinion and gears being so 5 proportioned. with relation to the printing.

1 device that when the operator depresses the treadle and thereby moves the printing head and its carrier forward and hence simultaneously operates the train of gears, the printing head is given a surface speed of rotation equal to its forward movement, wherey proper printing results are secured on the work supported on the workrest 2. In the bracket 21 I have provided a cylindrical recess or pot 42 in which is mounted a piston or dash 43 having a small air vent 44 and provided'at its rear side with a loosely pivoted rod 45 passing through a rocking shaft or bar 46 on the bell-crank and having separated stops 47, 48. This operates to stop the printing mechanism at the limit of its forward and backward movement with a yielding cushion-like effect which is advantageous to the proper rapid running of the machine. Above the printing head I mount two ink distributing rolls 49, and at the rear side of the printing device I secure an inking plate 50 having its peripheral ink-carry ing surface in the same cylinder plane with the printing head, so that as the latter rotates on its backward movement the inking plate 50 first meets the distributing rolls 49, thereby supplying them-with the ink which is distributed to the printing device as the latter moves back and forth beneath said rolls in its backward and forward movement. The printing head is provided with transverse and longitudinal grooves 51, 52, for holding clamping devices 53 to clamp the electroplate or other printing member 54 in place in usual manner, see F igs. 4 and 5, and said printing head is preferably made adjustable on its shaft by a bolt 55 andsplit collar 56.

In use, it will be evident that my printing machine is capable of handling the work with great rapidity, the printing head and its operating mechanism being at the rear a ay from the work, the operator placing a rubber on the work-rest, holding the rubber at its toe and heel so as to be able to shift the same into exactly the right position for receiving the impression. He naturally holds the rubber with considerable downward pressure in order to maintain the same steady on the workrest, and as the printing device comes forward under the influence of the treadle and does the printing, the dog 7 is suddenly tripped from its work-rest supporting position by the blow of the rod 10 on the rearwardly projecting tail piece 12 of said dog at the end of the forward printing movement, with the result that the downward steadying pressure which the workman has exerted almost insensibly uponthe rubber instantly depresses the work out of the way of the printing device. Simultaneously therew th the operator releases his foot from the treadle and the spring 20 restores the printing mechanism to its backward position,'the operator removing the printed rubber from its supthe treadle lever mechanism pulls forward on the frame 23 guided in the ways 22, the pinion 40 being simultaneously rotated by the stationary rack 41 and thereby operating through the gears 39, 38, 36 to rotate the printing device 34, first in engagement with the inking rolls and then, when the printing device and its carrier have been carried out to the work, in printing engagement with saidwork. As said printing device has the same surface speed of rotation as its forward movement, it has no tendency to slide on the Work but has simply the required vertical printing pressure thereon. 1f the work is thick the printing device and its. carrier yield upwardly by reason of the spring 32, and if a lot of rubbers or the like, having an unusually thip shank, are to be printed, the set screw 30 is turned down to gage the printinghead to the thin work. The printing inechagiism moves forward until stopped yieldingly by the stop 48 and dash pot and then, upon the removal or raising of the operators foot, instantly moves back until stopped yieldingly by the stop 47 and said dash pot. It has been my aim to construct 'a small, preferably portable, quick acting apparatus, capable of receiving and delivering the required copious amount of red ink or the like onto the somewhat irregular surface of rubbers, having supporting means facilitating the nick placing and removal of the rubbers without interfering with or being interfered by the printing device and its operating mechanism. The support 2 is preferably small so that the operator may bend the rubber more or less if required in order to obtain a good impression from the printing device, and the latter is made as small as possible and given an overhanging printing position, so as readily to permit the printing of the trademark, monogram, or

other impression on the shank close to the heel, or on the curved surface of the sole, or the relatively smoother surface of the boot leg, or in fact on any part of the rubber, shoe, boot, or whatever article the machine is being used in connection with.

As already intimated, my invention is capable of a considerable variation from the preferred constructional details herein set forth, as will be more evident from the appended claims.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is- 1. In a printing machine of the kind described, an overhanging printing mechanism, manually controlled means for moving said printing mechanism freely forward in printing position and quickly backward, a work support having a free space entirely around its upper end permitting said work support to project in position to enter within an article of footwear to support the same in position to receive an impress from said printing mechanism, means holding said work support stationary during the printing, and means for thereafter releasing the work support.

2. In a printing machine of the kind described, an overhanging printing mechanism, manually controlled means for moving said printing mechanism freely forward into printing position and quickly backward, a work support yieldingly projected upward into position to hold an article to be printed, and means to lock said work support stationary during the moment of printing, said printing mechanism including a swinging carrier and adjustableyielding means for supporting said carrier to permit the printing mechanism to yield for varying thicknesses of work.

3. In a printing machine of the kind described, upper and lower slideways arranged in opposite pairs, a transverse frame mounted to slide in said ways, a carrier pivotally mounted in said frame, yielding means between said carrier and frame normally holding said carrier in a predetermined overhanging position but permitting the carrier to yield with reference to said frame, a printing head pivoted in the extreme forward overhanging end of said carrier, operating mechanism to rotate said head, actuated by the forward and backward movement of said frame in said ways, and a supporting block and a vertically yielding spindle therefor located to position the work beneath the printing head when the latter is moved to its forward position.

4. In a printing machine of the kind described, a slide frame, horizontal ways for said frame to slide upon, a horizontal carrier pivoted at its rear'end in said frame, a printing head mounted to rotate in the front end of said horizontal carrier, means actuated by the back-and-forth movement of said carrier and slide frame for rotating said head, a manually operated bell crank lever pivoted at the lower part of the machine and connected to said slide frame for actuating the latter, and work supporting means to hold the work in position to be printed by said printing head when in forward position.

In a printing machine of the kind de- I scribed, a slide frame, horizontal ways for said frame to slide upon, a horizontal car rier pivoted at its rear end in said frame, a printing head mounted to r tate in the front end of said horizontal carrier, means actuated by the back-and-forth movement of said carrier and slide frame for rotating aid head, a manually operated bell crank le 'er pivoted at the lower part of the mac ine and connected to said slide frame'for ctuating the latter, a dash pot and its piston, a rod pivoted to said piston and slidingly pivoted in the adjacent arm of said bell crank, separated stops on said rod to be engaged by said arm to limit the forward and backward movement of said printing head, and work supporting means to hold the work in position to be printed by said printing head when in forward position.

6. 'A printing mechanism, means for moving said mechanism forward over the work to print the latter and backward into posi tion entirely out of the way of the work, a block-like work-rest movably supported to receive a piece of work in position to be held on said rest at the opposite ends thereof by the hands of the operator while it is being printed, means holding the work-rest stationary during the printing, and means actuated by the forward movement of the printing mechanism to release said Workrest, thereby permitting the work rest to be moved away from the printing mechanism by the said engagement of the work by the operator.

7. A printing mechanism, means for moving said mechanism forward over the workto print the latter, a block-like work-restm'ovably supported to receive a iece of .work in position to be held on sai rest at the opposite ends' thereof by the hands of the operator while it is being printed means holding the Work-rest stationary during. the 1 printing, means actuated by the forward movement of the printing mechanism to release said work-rest, thereby permitting the work-rest to be moved away from the printing mechanism by the said enga ement of the work by the operator, mean or fostering the printing mechanism to its backward inoperative position, and spring means for instantly restoring said work-rest to raised position.

8. In a printing machine of the kind described, printing means movable into and out of printing position with relation to the work, a movable work support for supporting an article of foot-wearin osition to be printed when held downwai d t ereon by the operator, and means for holding said work support stationary during the printing and suddenly releasing the work support at the end of' the printing, thereby causing downwa rd holding pressure of the operator on the work to move the work support and work suddenly away from the printing mechanism.

9. In a printing machine of the kind described, printing means movable into and out of printing position with relation to the Work,

a movable work support for supporting an article of foot-Wear in position to be printed when held downward thereon by the opera- .tor, spring means normally-holding said work support yicldingly upward, and means for locking said Work support stationary during the printing and suddenly releasing the Work support at the end of the printing, thereby causing the downward holding pressure of the operator on the Work to move the work support and work suddenly away from the printing mechanism.

10. In a printing machine of the kind described, printing means movable into and out of printing ppsition with relation to the work, a movable work support for supporting an article of foot-wear in position to be printed when held downward thereon by the operator, spring means normally upholding holding said work support stationary during I the printing and actuated by said actuating mechanism at the end of the movementof the printing mechanism into print in position -to release said Work support, t ereby causing the downward holding pressure of the operator on the work to move the work support and work suddenly away from the printing mechanism.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOSEPH W. MOORE. Witnesses:

CHARLES D. Moons, HENRY W. A. JOHNSON. 

